Hometown: Mount Laurel, NJ
Why did you choose McCourt? The community and access to support systems. I wanted to be in a program that helped me strengthen my quantitative skills and that gave me flexibility in what I could study in terms of choosing electives. When I visited for accepted students day, there were professors who were eager to talk and it was clear they wanted us to be there. There was definitely an authentic welcoming feel that I did not find at other schools. In that, it seems like McCourt is grounded in the Jesuit values of Georgetown.
What professional/ work experience did you have prior to coming to McCourt? I worked as a e-commerce merchandising specialist and then as a data analyst at Wayfair in Boston for six years, before deciding to pivot to the nonprofit sector. I did an AmeriCorps year of service at a housing nonprofit for mothers and their children in Phoenix, Arizona and then went on to do Marketing, Development, Recruitment, and helped to run the AmeriCorps program at that nonprofit.
What has been the best part of your experience so far? The community. Everyone at McCourt is welcoming and encouraging from professors to classmates. It is definitely not a competitive atmosphere. Students invite each other to events or pass along internship opportunities. Everyone wants each other to succeed.
What internships have you had so far during your time at McCourt? I’m currently a Graduate Assistant at the Center on Faith and Justice at McCourt.
Student organization involvement while at McCourt: Policy Innovation Lab, MSA New Student Committee, LPI (LGBTQ+ Policy Initiative)
Undergraduate University, degree, and major: Boston College, BA in Psychology
Hobbies/ Interests: My areas of focus are economic and social inequality, housing, poverty, and social isolation. I am interested in addressing these at the state and local level and how to develop community level protective factors.
Outside of policy, I love playing and watching basketball, going to Spirit and Mystics games, writing, Philadelphia sports, improv, going to concerts
Reach out to me about: New to policy, moving to DC, starting grad school after being out of school for 7+years, new to econ, first-gen graduate student (family doesn’t understand why you want to go back to school)